In anticipation of this evening’s UEFA group stage match when Switzerland will go head to head with Romania at the Parc des Princes in Paris, Travelstart looks at what makes these two countries dream travel destinations.
Header image courtesy of switzerland.vacations via Instagram
Switzerland is better known of the two, though in recent years Romania is estimated to have had the fourth fastest growing travel and tourism total demand in the world, with an estimated potential growth of 8% per year from 2007 to 2016 (according to the World Travel and Tourism Council). The capital of Romania, Bucharest, the “Paris of the East” offers travelers a new experience of Europe with inexpensive street food and a fascinating 21st century art scene, 17th and 18th century Byzantine churches tucked away on narrow streets plus the gorgeous Cișmigiu Gardens will delight and inspire. Switzerland is well-known for its high-tech lifestyle, beautiful countryside, skiing in the alps, luxury chocolate, spas and picturesque lakes.
Find cheap flights to Bucharest here.
Get tickets for around R8000 return for a flight booked in 6 months time from Johannesburg
Romania is a refreshingly inexpensive European Holiday
You’ll pay around R24.33 for a 500ml local beer and R30 for a cappuccino. Airbnb makes accommodation in Romania affordable and authentic. If you are a fan of camping and hiking Romania may be your new favourite European destination.
Fly one of the best airlines in the world when you fly Swiss.
Visas
South Africans need to apply for a Schengen visa to visit Switzerland. More on applying for a Schengen visa here.
To enter Romania, South Africans need to apply for a Romanian visa- you can start the process online here.
You will require:
• valid travel document;
• photographs;
• accommodation;
• travel ticket;
• vehicle supporting documents;
• travel medical insurance;
• means of support;
• proof of itinerary;
Useful exception:
However, if you hold a two or multiple entry short-stay visa issued by a Schengen member state then you will not be required to apply for a Romanian visa.
Would you rather
Discover Romanian culture and tradition
Courtesy of ig_romania via Instagram
Or
The art of Swiss Chocolate making?
Courtesy of lindt_switzerland via Instagram
Snowboard at Sinaia (or at Păltiniș, the highest ski resort in Romania)
Courtesy of ig_romania via Instagram
Or
Stay in a classic mountain chalet in Switzerland?
Courtesy of switzerland.vacations via Instagram
Visit the Romanian Athenaeum, Bucharest, Romania. Romania is also boasts the largest parliament building in the world.
Courtesy of ig_romania via Instagram
Or
Take a Swiss train across breath-taking mountain scenery?
Courtesy of switzerland.vacations via Instagram
Explore the Rhone Glacier in Switzerland
Courtesy of switzerland.vacations via Instagram
Or
Marvel at the waterfalls in Batrana Valley, Iezer-Papusa mountains, Romania?
Courtesy of ig_romania via Instagram
Visit a cheese factory in famous Gruyeres, Switzerland
Courtesy of kgustuslukey via Instagram
Courtesy of lebon1999 via Instagram
Or
Go camping and star-gazing by the Eastern Carpathians, Romania?
Courtesy of ig_romania via Instagram
Bask in spa bliss in Switzerland
Courtesy of switzerland.vacations via Instagram
Courtesy of switzerland.vacations via Instagram
Or
Walk the streets of fascinating Bucharest and Oradea, Romania?
Courtesy of ig_romania via Instagram
Courtesy of ig_romania via Instagram
Enjoy sunny days in Sion, the capital of the Canton of Valais, Switzerland
Courtesy of switzerland.vacations via Instagram
Or
Gorgeous autumn leaves in Bucharest, Romania?
Discover Romanian cuisine
Courtesy of ig_romania via Instagram
Or
Escape to a cabin on a Swiss lake
Courtesy of switzerland.vacations via Instagram
Find out more about the UEFA Euro 2016 here:
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